The secrets and techniques of The Chase: How the Mind of Britain completely blew it, the cleverest superstar, ‘kinky’ nicknames and what contestants actually say off digital camera is revealed by the Chasers

So much occurred in 2009. Barack Obama was sworn in because the forty fourth President of the US of America, Matt Smith was introduced as the brand new Physician Who and Michael Jackson’s loss of life shocked pop followers all over the world.

It was additionally the 12 months a brand new daytime quiz present took its first steps onto our screens, a quiz present that might go on to be one of many longest-running ever on UK tv, pulling in a median 4m viewers a day and successful a BAFTA and three Nationwide Tv Awards, in addition to changing into an enormous worldwide franchise. Not unhealthy for a present that began life as a brief substitute for Jasper Carrott’s long-forgotten Golden Balls.

That present was The Chase, through which skilled quizzers, generally known as the ‘Chasers’, try and cease contestants successful a big money prize by accurately answering extra common data questions than them. 

Because it enters its fifteenth 12 months, host Bradley Walsh and the Chasers have come collectively for an unique interview to speak about its phenomenal success.

A pilot episode was recorded one overcast day in 2008, when Bradley and two Chasers – Shaun ‘The Darkish Destroyer’ Wallace, a barrister and Mastermind winner, and Mark ‘The Beast’ Labbett, a secondary college trainer, each headhunted from the nationwide quizzing circuit – discovered themselves within the outdated London Weekend Tv constructing. 

‘We had been up on the nineteenth or twentieth flooring, Mark and Shaun had been already there,’ recollects Bradley, 64. ‘I assumed it had potential, however I’d achieved a couple of quizzes and bought used to them being scrapped.’

Neither of the inaugural Chasers had been taking something as a right both. ‘The producers had been being so coy,’ says Mark, 59. ‘All they might say was it was an audition for an unnamed TV present which, for me, meant a 300-mile spherical journey. I virtually missed it as a result of the site visitors was so unhealthy.’

The viewers was made up of ITV bosses they usually discovered somebody within the workplace to be a contestant. ‘Right away I took the contestant’s facet,’ says Bradley. ‘I noticed the Chasers as these huge, all-knowing, bully varieties, so I began taking the mickey out of them. Once they bought a query mistaken I actually gave it to them, and everybody was laughing. That’s once I knew we had one thing.

‘Usually with a quiz present you’re handcuffed to the format, however this meant I might go off script and improvise. It was like doing stand-up in the course of a quiz present, which I cherished. So proper from that very first run-through I assumed this might be particular.’

Mark remembers it for various causes. ‘I heard the producers had been shocked once I walked by means of the door,’ he recollects. ‘I needed to duck below the body as a result of I’m so tall [he’s 6ft 6in] and I used to be carrying a Soviet Military greatcoat that flapped behind me like a cape. They stated they knew I’d look nice on TV, and thankfully I might again it up by being a good quizzer too.’

The Chase was a very authentic format, impressed by Usain Bolt’s performances on the 2008 Beijing Olympics after an ITV researcher steered a ‘quiz race’ the place contestants battled in opposition to ‘the Usain Bolt of quizzers’, and it was certainly one of two pilots combating it out for a spot on the schedules. 

The opposite present was The Fuse, hosted by ex-rugby participant Austin Healey, and in the long run it wasn’t even shut. The Fuse lasted for simply 11 days. ‘And right here we’re 15 years later,’ gloats Shaun, 64.

The primary episode correct was recorded on 1 June 2009, and whereas it was nice to know that not less than one sequence can be made, neither of the Chasers was precisely leaping for pleasure over it. ‘Shaun and I each misplaced cash at first,’ says Mark. ‘We earned simply £100 a present and needed to take a whole lot of time away from our better-paid jobs to do it. Shaun misplaced hundreds!’

They weren’t the one ones frightened about shedding cash. ‘The producers introduced in underwriters for that first sequence to observe us in case we misplaced an excessive amount of,’ remembers Mark. ‘I’m reliably knowledgeable that after simply two days they turned spherical to the producers and instructed them they might be OK: “You’re not shedding cash with these two!”’

The present’s trademark drama and pleasure had been there from the very first episode. ‘I needed to reply 5 questions in 20 seconds,’ recollects Shaun. ‘I used to be requested the final one with about two seconds to go. It was, “What movie does the track Chim Chim Cher-ee come from?” however earlier than Bradley might end I stated “Mary Poppins” in a extremely informal method, and the studio erupted. They knew they’d successful on their fingers then. It had gone right down to the wire, it was thrilling and we Chasers might deal with the strain.’

Over time, the Chasers have grown to 6 in quantity. In 2010 Mark and Shaun had been joined by journalist Anne ‘The Governess’ Hegerty, now 66, then by Paul ‘The Sinnerman’ Sinha, 54, a slapstick comedian and former GP, in 2011. Jenny ‘The Vixen’ Ryan, the newborn of the bunch at simply 42, arrived in 2015, after which Darragh ‘The Menace’ Ennis, 43, accomplished the sextet in 2020.

‘In 2009 I’d joined the nationwide quizzing circuit and met Mark,’ says Anne. ‘He instructed me about this little pilot he’d achieved that I ought to watch. The next month I used to be instructed the present had been keen on making an attempt out a feminine Chaser. I contacted the producer and apparently her response was, “Can this individual actually be nearly as good as she says she is?” It turned out I used to be.’

For Paul, an opportunity encounter with the opposite Chasers additionally paid dividends. ‘ITV determined they wished a fourth Chaser to hitch the ranks, and as luck would have it I performed in opposition to the opposite three in a event and did relatively properly,’ he says. ‘Once they had been requested if there was anybody they’d advocate they talked about me and I knew I used to be prepared.’

Jenny’s entry was somewhat extra fraught. ‘By the point I joined, The Chase was such an enormous a part of the TV panorama it was like including a brand new character to a cleaning soap,’ she says. ‘You don’t simply throw somebody in Corrie after one audition. So there have been many months of assessments and it took a 12 months earlier than I recorded my first episode.’

The present was successful from the off – not only for its drama however due to these memorable nicknames. And it seems that Bradley is guilty for nearly all of them. ‘I’ve all the time achieved that. It’s my pure bent,’ he says. ‘I both shorten folks’s names or give them nicknames. That’s simply the best way I used to be introduced up.’

Shaun wasn’t so positive about his alter ego at first. ‘He initially known as me “The Authorized Eagle”, however that quickly modified to “The Darkish Destroyer”, which I had some reservations over,’ he says. 

‘Not due to any sinister overtones – I’m proud I’m darkish and black, and I’m proud I can destroy folks with my mind. It was extra that it was former boxer Nigel Benn’s nickname too. I used to be frightened that in the future he would come after me!’

Anne and Jenny each went by means of a few variations earlier than discovering their well-known monikers. ‘Initially I used to be going to be known as “The Headmistress”,’ says Anne. ‘However throughout rehearsals Bradley began referring to me as “The Governess”. I instructed the producers immediately I’d relatively be known as that. I assumed it was extra kinky!’

Jenny’s authentic title was a bit too racy, although. ‘I used to be initially known as “The Cougar” which – on a number of grounds – I objected to,’ she laughs. ‘Brad got here up with “The Vixen” as a result of in each audition I wore my hair with a ponytail on the facet and he thought it appeared like a fox’s brush. That labored for me.’

The one nickname that Bradley didn’t coin was Mark Labbett’s. ‘I’ve been generally known as “The Beast” for 20 years,’ he says. ‘It’s what my surname means in French. So I trademarked it, which has meant a whole lot of enjoyable with the ITV legal professionals through the years. They requested me to signal the title over to them however I stated no as a result of it’s price a fortune to me.’

After all the present wouldn’t work with out its contestants, and throughout the 15 years and greater than 2,000 episodes there have been almost 10,000 of them. Some have stood out greater than others. 

‘My favorite was a gentleman who got here on and admitted quizzing wasn’t actually his forte,’ Bradley says. ‘He was the final participant up; everybody else had been knocked out as a result of the Chasers had been on hearth. So the percentages didn’t look good however he went for it. He was after £100,000 and it appeared like he had no likelihood, however he took a few wild guesses and scraped by with this actual underdog spirit and he did it. I used to be leaping up and down and cuddling him.’

Mark admits that he loved fun at another person’s expense. ‘I had nice enjoyable publicly outing the reigning Mind of Britain on the present,’ he chuckles. ‘He had uncared for to say it on his software type however Paul and I noticed him. He completely blew it, which was enjoyable!’

The Chasers’ job is, after all, to cease the contestants from successful, which begs the query: do they ever really feel sorry for them? ‘Oh sure, we’re not monsters, particularly as most of us have been contestants on different quiz reveals earlier than we bought on The Chase,’ says Jenny. ‘So I actually really feel for them, significantly in the event that they’re good however don’t handle to take residence the cash. Shaun and I’ll all the time discover them off set and provides them an enormous hug.’

Not everybody loses with magnanimity, nonetheless. ‘You do get a couple of folks effing away below their breath, considering we will’t hear them,’ says Bradley with fun. ‘However the microphones decide up all the pieces. So I get instructed to allow them to know that they should preserve the language down.’

The Chase has welcomed its justifiable share of celebrities through the years, too. ‘I’m an enormous sports activities fan, so the truth that I’ve performed in opposition to Olympic gold medallists is simply wonderful,’ says Paul. ‘Assembly the likes of Linford Christie was an actual pinch your self second.’

And based on the Chasers, a number of the celebrities are fairly sharp. ‘It’s all the time good to see Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen,’ says Anne. ‘He’s so vibrant that I attempted to faucet him up for certainly one of my quiz leagues.’

So who’s the cleverest celeb? ‘Shaun Williamson [Barry from EastEnders],’ declares Shaun. ‘He’s excellent and takes half within the nationwide quizzing leagues we play in.’ Might he have develop into a Chaser? ‘We did give him a attempt however he shortly realised his personal limitations,’ says Mark. ‘He knew he wasn’t adequate.’

So what does make a very good Chaser? ‘Having the ability to maintain your nerve,’ says Anne. ‘I’ve by no means been scared on TV. I’ve identified so many individuals on the quiz circuit who say they might make nice Chasers however they’d crumble below the lights.’

Mark agrees. ‘The quiz world is sort of small and one or two have stated how a lot better than me they’d be, however they simply don’t get the showmanship facet,’ he says. ‘You will be the best quizzer on the planet, however with no persona you’re not happening TV.’

Regardless of such boasts, the Chasers aren’t good. ‘I used to be caught as soon as as a result of I couldn’t keep in mind the color of Marge Simpson’s hair,’ laughs Shaun.

Mark thinks it’s solely going to worsen. ‘The one factor I fear about is I’m beginning to have senior moments with names. I’m good mates with Paddy McGuinness and he was the reply to one of many questions however attempt as I’d his title wouldn’t come to me. I needed to name him afterwards to apologise.’

Regardless of their intimidating onscreen personas, the Chasers are a jolly bunch who’re good buddies off set. ‘We have now our personal dressing rooms however all of us congregate in a single room, typically Paul’s as a result of his husband Ollie will check us by firing out questions. That’s how we’ve enjoyable I’m afraid. We’re unhappy,’ says Anne.

Mark even requested Anne to be godmother to his son. ‘I all the time joke he hasn’t bought a fairy godmother, he’s bought a scary godmother,’ Mark provides.

It’s clear the present means so much to every of them, however maybe none extra so than Mark – as a result of it saved his life. ‘Fifteen years in the past I used to be an sad, 29st maths trainer in a classroom in South Wales that was falling aside,’ he says. ‘I doubt I’d be right here now if I used to be nonetheless there. Being on the present made me shed extra pounds – I’m 19st now and fitter.’

So would Bradley do one other 15 years of The Chase? ‘I might,’ he replies firmly. ‘Till folks say they’ve had sufficient and begin switching off I’ll do it. We’ve had such a rare time collectively. It’s the very best job on the planet.’

The Chase fifteenth anniversary particular, Monday 2 September, 5pm, ITV1.